Abstract
Keywords
There has been continual growth in the availability of address and neighborhood-level crime data allowing for many spatial approaches to crime occurrence (see Hipp & Williams, 2020). Through the availability of data and the development in analytical software for analyses, spatial approaches to understanding crime occurrence have grown more complex. This special issue aims to advance knowledge of the “where” characteristic of crime but through a more transparent lens of how. We understand that data cannot always be shared given the nature of criminal justice related data but the analytical steps taken can be (to an extent), allowing for future researchers to replicate the analytical approach with their own data.
At some point, we have all come across a study, and thought, I would like to do what the author(s) did here. This could become problematic and counterproductive to research advancement when the analytical steps taken in a study are not transparent to the reader. We would argue there should be greater emphasis put on detailed analytical steps used in a study, even if it leads to a shorter review of literature, or abandoning all together (see Maddan, 2018). We understand the likelihood of the disappearance of a literature review is slim; however, with limited pages within journal articles, there needs to be a balancing act with analytical transparency in mind. The analytical side has often been sidelined to links to open-source sites such as GitHub or personal websites/blogs where greater details are available. While this is extremely beneficial, this also adds another hurdle for readers to overcome.
The author(s) of the special issue studies were asked by us (Grubb & Drawve) to speak toward transparency and a movement toward open/replicable approaches in their discussion after their paper was accepted. To that, there are varying degrees of transparency in the articles of this special issue. Data are only one aspect of any approach. The spatial approach used can also reduce the likelihood of replication if not widely available. Many of the articles have supplemental materials available or linked to within their study. This type of open access is instrumental for the broader audience, many of whom likely have an interest in the area if they are reading the paper.
At the end of the day, we are trying to understand crime occurrence in hopes to reduce or prevent it from occurring in the first place. The data used and methods employed are vital toward this endeavor. As we move toward more data-drive and evidence-based practices, there needs to be less black box and more glass box. We challenge fellow researchers and practitioners, along with ourselves, to become clear in our spatial approaches.
